davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
A BAD HAIL STORM.
The Way They DO Things Out in
Dakota.

Up at Valley City, this Territory, the
other afternoon while a party OF East
ern tourists were standing under the
covered porch of the leading hotel, a
thunderstorm mixed with considerable
hail came up. Pretty soon hailstones
as large as hazel nuts began to come
down.
"Grcat Scott" said one of the East
ern men, Gust see the size of those
hail-stones p
eyes, said another, land they'r get
ting larger-theres some half an inch in
diameter"
"Worse than that" howled another,
as he began to grow excited, 'there's
one in the middle Of the street as large
as an egg -
Remarks of this nature were kept up
for two or three minutes, when the
night clerk Of the hotel, who had just
got up and was standing on the porch,
and two OF three Of the boarders, who
were natives, winked at one another and
retired. It seems that they couldn't
stand to hear such remarks: for the truth
is it was nothing but an ordinary hail
storm and hail-stones much larger fire.
quently fell.
The hail continued and the Eastern
men grew still more excited.
''Look at 'em now, big as hens egg4
or I'm liar ~ cried one.
Hens eggs nothing" shouted an
other, "there's one us big as goose
egg!'
"Theyre getting thicker, tool"
"Thunder and blazes See the one
on the crossing rs big as coffee eup!"
''That isn't nything-there's one the
other side of it six inches in diameter p
"Great heavens, boys. see that It's
as big as a water pail!'
Bigger Bigger! Bet five dollars
it's bigger
See how sharp cornered and ugly
looking they are :"
One of them would kill horse
Il don't care if they would kill an
elephant" howled the most enthusiastic
man, "Im going to have that biggest
one and weigh it before it melts Bet
ten dollars it'll weigh forty pounds"
and he shot out into the street and
largest hail-stone that ever fell i'll Da-
kota. He was just getting it up when
another about the size of toy balloon
LOOK nlln D6tMetu inc SllOuittSIo t'lANI
knocked him over His friends rushed
out to the rescue. The storm was
evidently about over, but stones
were still coming down the size
of billiard balls and plenty of them.
It was hard work and they were
considerably bruised, but they at last
got their stunned companion under
cover, together with the big hail-st ne.
The most terrific storm of hail ever
known in the world was over. The
scene in front of the hotel resembled
winter landscape on the northern shore
of Greenland.
"Stupendi-ous Tcr-r-rific - falter-
ed the enthusiastic man as he recovered
breath 81 shall send a twOcolumn
dispatch about it to the signal-service
department at Washington!
And just then the proprietor Of the
hotel crawled through window onto
the roof over the porch and shouted
some bad language at two boarders who
were there, and slipped up and fell on
his back as he kicked at the night
clerk.
They had chopped up two hundred
pounds of ice and thrown it into the
street-all there had been in the kitchen
refrigerator.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
A YentrilOquial Genius.

The Boston Budget says: A little
Boston boy who was taken to the enter
tainment of ventriloquist some time
ago, and who was. n close observer of
the performers m0ilus operandi, accom-
panied his parents last week to his faith
er's native town, and among the places
visited during their rural sojoun was
the country cemetery, where sleep the
pro8enitors of his paternal parent. The
latter pointed out to the child certain
mound, saying: "There, dear, is the
grave of your grandfather. The little
fellow gazed cuIiously at the place of
sepulture for moment, and then seized
by sudden idea, stopped down and
rapplngo on the tombstone, said: "Grand.
pa, are you down there p following it
mp with self-supplied eyes" in as
deep and cultural n tone as his little
throat could make vocal. "Does you
want to come rp!" he resumed in his
natural pitch C voice, and again drop
ping to the lower tone answered his own
query with bass and hollow ono. -
The parents, greatly shocked, cut short
further vehtriloquial efforts on the part
OF the too precocious child.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
AN UNSATISFACTORY PHYSICIAN.
He Would not Take any of His Own
Medicine.

Several years ago young doctor
named Mabee came out from the east
and settled in a small Dakota town to
practice his profession. He had di-
ploma from one of the best medical
schools, printed on sheepsllin, which he
carried around with him in a heavy
block tin tube. He got but little to do;
most of the practice was monopOlized
by n I4nn named DaSEgett who had been
Sncs ted F. t-=.--, time Daggett
! did not follow any regularly recognized
school of medicine, but pinned his faith
to Doultice made on the ''hide side of
the skin of a black cat killed in the dark
of the moon" Mabee was at last him
self taken sick. He got quite low and
finally called in Dr.. Daggett One day
after he had recovered he was waited on
by Il committee of the citizens headed
by the mayor, who broke the ice by re-
marking:
''Doc, we'uns have called on a little
pint which we reckon will be midlin
interestin' to you"
"All right-go ahead" replied the
young physician.
eve noticed that when you got pretty
sick you called in DR.. Daggett to fiXyou
up"
"Why, yes, he came to see me once or
twice
'Y-a-e-s, we seen he did! Little bit
skeered of your own med cines, we low"
mo, sir but was too sick to do any
thing for myself. That's all profession
al"
''It may be professional, but it won't
wash in these diggin's, young man
Here you been tellin' all the time that
old Doc Gaggett Want no good, an
pokin' fun at his black catskin policies,
an sayin' that mebby he would do fer
cows an mules, but that he want quite
up to bosses an persons yet, an now
when yer sick yerself the first thing you
do is to send fer him Here you been
pourin' yer lin'ment an condi ion pow
ders an one truck an mother down us
fer six months, but when you're sick YER
self you're mighty glad to go back to
the COOL old 'riginal catskin! Millions
o bottles of your stuff fer the rest of
Us, but not drop fer yerself! That's
the kind of a doc you be We're onto
your plan and rs cheerman of a commit
tee of our leadin' citizens WANT to warn
you to move on Git right out O town
a man what da S ut take his own med
zines can't dose the rest of us, not in
this place !"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
A Strong Man.

For one of his sedentary habits, the
late Chas. Sumner had extraordinary
strength, and vet he was not an athlete.
While in Washington his only exercise
was walking, and as he believed it was
| the pace rather than the distance that
tells, when opportunity offered he would
| go at a rate that amazed behOlders.
Some persons attempting to join and
keep up with him only succeeded by
taking an occasional hop, skip, and
Jump, such as children practice when
walking with their parents. Up to the
time of his injuries he walked much in
Washington, for, as he said, he could
outwalk omnibuses, and give them long
odds.
He was hardly aware OF his enormous
strength, it was so seldom called into
exercise. His books were packed in
| large boxes at the end of each sssion
and sent from his rooms to the Capitol,
only to be returned at the beginning of
the next session. These boxes weighed
nearly five hundred pounds each, and
were difficult to handle in passages and
stairways, and so were accompanied by
four men. Once when he was living at
the Rev Dr. Simpsons, one of these
heavy boxes got stuck in the stairway
1t could be eXtricated without damage
to the walls only by lifting it over the
banister. The four men failed to apply
their strength to the most advantage, for
| they got in each others way, and thus
failed to move the box. The Senator,
hated and gloved, ready to go out, came
down the stairs.
WHY don't you Lift it OYER the rail o.
SAID ne.
Chow can we9' answered one. ''You
have no idea of its weight
''Let me try" said the Senator, and,
leaning over the rail, he seized the rope
beckett at the end of the box and lifted
the latter clear of its entanglements by
one sure pull, splitting his glove, how
ever, across the back. The men were
amazed; and he, little embarrassed,
said, 81 didn't mean to lift it, only to
try its weight and then went back for
fresh gloves.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
Centre Of the United States.

An army officer, now in Chicago, ask
ed the other day: "Do you know where
the exact geographical centre of the
United States is Never thought any
thing about it, probably? Well, its
marked 10y grave-that of Major Og-
den of the United States army. who died
Mt Fort Riley, i'll Kansas, i'll 1855, dur
ing the cholera epidemic of that year.
Major Ogden's remains were afterward
removed to Fort Leavenworth, and buried
IN the National cemetery, but his mon.
umemt still sta3ds on knoll a little to
the northeast of the post-Fort Riley
and 1T lifts its head toward the clouds in
the exact geographical centre of the
United States. This isn't Il conceit: it's
Il fact, though probably of the hundreds
of men now at the fort not one in Il
hundred ever stops to think about it.
Fort Riley Is a few miles east of juno
ton City, Kansas, and is one Of the
most important cavalry posts i'll the
country"
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06

spruce trees are always on the south
side, and thirdly, the topmost twig of
every uninjured hemlock tips to the
cast"
A CITIZEN of Providence, R. l.,
make many dollar by catching bats,
which he sells to taxidermists for fifty
cents apiece. He fastens fish hook to
the end of long horsewhip, and on the
hook he fastens moth miller. Then,
standing near an electric light in the
evening he waves the whip until one of
the many bats which are hunting the
insects that fly around the light grabs
the miller, and then he yanks him in.
THE Thakore Sahib of Morvi enforces
a most interesting custom in his Indian
dominion. There is at the head of each
village one man who is responsible for
the peace and honesty of the communi-
ty. If burglary is committed, this
man must hunt up the thief. and if he
fails to find him is compelled to pay for
the stolen goods out of his own pocket
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
A REMARKABLE STORY.
The Confession of a Wanderer on
the Face Of the Earth.

A strange white man, who, some
months ago, settled in the neighbor-
hood of Fairview, Alabama, giving the
name of George Wakes, became sick
When the doctor tod him that his case
was hopeless he sent for Mr.. Adams,
and asking to he left alone he made a
most remarkable confession. He said
to him:
"Mv time has come to die, and | want
you to see that what / have to tell you
will be made public. My name is not
George Wakes, but Lee Simmons. was
born in Dallas, Texas, and am now p
years of age. Ny father, whose name
was William Simmons, is dead, and IS
buried at Evergreen, Texas. My
mothers maiden name was Lanford.
When | last heard of her she was living
at Ouachita Station, Ouachita County,
Ark. After father died, and when | was
but ID years of age my mother sent me
to school. There Il cousin OF my own
name was my companion. One day, on
returning home, | got mad with him. L
went home, got my fathers shotgun,
watched for my cousin, and shot him
dead. That night l staid out until the
family went to bed, when l stole i'll for
my clothes, and since that night I have
not looked upon the face of my mother.
My people are all wealthy, and when
they hear that / am buried here they
will send for my body
He then went on to say that from the
age of 13 to that of 27 he had never re-
manned whole month III one place.
He made his way through the Indians
overland to California followed the
Pacific coast north, and in time returned
to the States; had travelled over every
one of them, always being haunted by
the memory of his crime. and feeling re-
morse for the Abandonment of his
mother. As the hour of death APP
preached he grew plaintive i'll his pro
testations, but at no time would he al
low his attendants to remove the cover
ing from his person. 1t was MT until
death had removed the power of resist
ance that the reason was made plain.
There were found upon his body II
gashes cut with a knife, from one and
half to seven inches long. These Scars
were on his sides, but on his back were
two gashes, one three inches, the other
nine inches long. The scar of bullet
wound was found on his right arm. 1t
looked as if he had run the gauntlet of
many hard fight. His body was buried
in the graveyard of POpe's Church.
Two hundred persons witnessed the
interment.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
Short Bird Stories.

! A Buffalo canary has miniature well
in his cage, with a bucket, the cha n OF
which reaches to its perch. When it
wants drink it draws up the bucket,
much to the delight of the children in
the neighborhood.
\ coyote in Walla Walla was attacked
by an immense hawk that hit him fair on
the back of his head. The coyote would
duck its head, then make a snap at the
hawk but could not reach it, and at the
end OF twenty minutes the coyote was
trailing in the dust
A partridge was found in a grass field
in Hocklitfe, says the London Field,
that was rearing white barnyard
chicken. When the chicken was caught
the bird evinced all the signs of distress
usually shown if their natural offspring
are molested. The place where the bird
was found is nearly mile from any farm
buildings
William Allen, of San Francisco, bow,
shot and wounded large hawk that was
soaring away with a weasel in its talons.
After it fell he hurried to pluck off its
large feathers, when the bird suddenly
threw its wings aboat his body and sank
its bea|S ferociously into his check while
both hands were pinioned. Finally he
released one just enough to take out
small penknfe, with which he stabbed
the hawk. The stab had but little ,Tect.
Fortunately a man came along and res
cued the young and almost exhausted
hunter. He will soon be slI right again,
but a scar will remain for life. The hawk
measured eight feet from wing TO wing.
Dr. Charles c. Abbott says that in ex-
perimenting on the intelligence of birds,
when he girdled branches on which birds
had built their nests causing the foliage
to shr.vel, exposing their nests, although
they hid laid their eggs, they would
abandon them; but if the nests already
contained young birds, Notwithstanding
the exposure, they would remain until the
young were able to fly. He placed a
number of pieces of wooden yarn-red,
yellow, purple, green, and gray in color
There was an equal number of each col
or-near tree in which pair of Balti-
more orioles were building a rest. The
pieces were exactly alike in color. There
was an equal number of each color, and
the red and yellow were purposely placed
on the top. The birds chose only the
gray pieces, putting in a few purple and
blue ones when the nest was nearly fin.
ished. Not a red, yellow or green strand
was used.-Ne,0 York Sun.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
THE ACES DID 1T.
How Bismark Became the Capital
of Dakota Territory.

,.4I1r -
y "GoTy l" 1o!I' Oh same Oh poker that
moved tHo capital OF DAKOTA Is was at
tl;'t mem 'ra2ls |t?IeT session at 1anf
aon "ltelI a -, in,ti to"il5 NJle tlCCI'
ms Iio INV ~ 'a ~ T.iiIil Si''''',
'iI ", .''l. iloiio.. ~ lii'Pt'elie'
ViiL- t"o towns were tlei on Ihe Eote'
anu I" Sll5le u lI1l9iiill "a1IoI would Sc
c,5 tiT PIX If 20 e't that III, WAS III tnlS
+" sa .,'I thn n,Ia in"l;nn voto l, !"
~ 9J''oo ',io iaoN,,iS IoYo ~ III
ao,, af pD>'i ME- rI',n n.r'foeL inV2 -
ty ., he'" f, lnr ,, "e H. lo,sr III 1ne
H. lloiii Gi1j VI f t,i9 i tH ooWnS
; ;%o ,rl1 'ioUi", rio, Gle o'Iler.
ill,tai ai,I ,,I,, ,,.aa i;,,r, na1 ro3,n VI d"
V' a,it; iJ "''1 III 81, ''i,' illlo'S ~ "S
o.no '"i W. "ri'1 Lew IT, i.'' pt'ihes Inc
In $In1 w ~" '' ,,4 " Mili,e opened
oa ,r - ,;un to IA H. h pegi1
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
PLENTY OF GREENBACKS,
How a Memphis Editor Got a For
tune During the War.
From the Jacksonville News.

Several years anterior to 1853 [ had
an assistant editor by the name of Rock
ett-Frank Y. Rocket, the Y. standing
for Yorick, I suppose, though if it did
not, it ought to have done so, since he
rect writer, poet of much originality,
and gentleman of high tone and high
principles, but sensitive and fastidious
rs a woman. He was considerable older
than myself, and when the war came,
having always been strong Wing and
Union man, he remained III Memphis
after its conquest by the Federals, and
took no part in the deadly ''wrassel' be-
tween the South and the North. His
health was bad; he was utterly unfit for
the hardships of soldiers life; and,
though anything but coward, fighting
was not his forte. While the war was
going on-as he afterward told me-he
found it Il desperate struggle to live for
some months, although, being bache-
lOr always, he had no one to provide for
but himself. Indeed he was only res
cued from actual beggary by one of hose
accidents OF special providences-call it
what you will-which you would not be
able to guess in thousand trials.
The city was crowded with Federal
soldiers, nearly all of Grants army be-
ing there to be paid off. He said that
on the morning after the first batch were
paid off he rose very early, as was his
habit, and was sauntering down the
main street, Immediately after the dawn
of day, without cent in his pocket;
lean, ragged and hungry, and not know
ing how or where to get his next food;
when in the neighborhood of the Pay
masters office, and still nearer an all
night saloon, he spied ON the sidewalk a
number of wads Of green paper, which,
on picking up, he found to be green
backs. That morning his treasure trove
amounted to nearly 5000.
This money, of course, had been drop
ped by the drunken soldiers paid off the
day before, while rowing and fighting
among themselves the night before.
Restitution was, of course, next to I'M
possible, and, said Rocket, under the
circumstances, hardly to be thought of
by Southerner; at any rate, contis
Gated it as contraband of war. From
this time on to the clos, of the war
Rocket said he lived like fighting cock
and dressed like Solomon in all his glory.
The only toiling and spinning he did
was to follow the example of the early
bird and give the main street and front
row sidewalks close inspection before
any one else was stirring every morning
after army payday. He rarely failed to
pick up less than 500 aud sometimes
his findings were over $500.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
Watches for the Blind.

"This is one of the cutest things in
the watch line that has yet appeared,
said JeweIer Charles S Crossman, hold,
ing up one of the new Swiss watches de
signed for the use of the blind. "Tht
old raised figure watches were clumsy
and the blind PEOPLE were constantly
lending or breaking the watch hands by
touching them. In this watch Il small peg
is set in the entire of each figure. When
the hour hand is approaching certain
hour the peg for that hour drops when
the quarter before it is passed. The per
son feels the peg is down, and then counts
ack to twelve. He can thus tel the
time within few minutes, and by prac-
tice he can become so expert as to tell the
time almost exactly. Thcy have been in
use about six months, and there isa steady
and growing demand for them --Nem
York Sun,
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
A Whole Town BOycOtted.

The existence of most peculiar boy
colt came to light ont in Ohio. Several
months ago the authorities of Wells
Vile took advantage of the Dow law and
closed the saloons i'll that place. An
organization was formed and efforts to
have the ordinance repealed were made,
but were unsuccessful. Then the or,
aanization adopted new tactics, and de
tiled to boycott the whole town unless
Tic saloons were opened. In fol-
ing out their plaE they have
sought the markets at other towns and
now arc buying groceries, meats, and
even dry goods and clothes are being
purchased i'll chem. \ tailor inter
viewed said that the secretary of the or
G.nization had placed several orders fol-
fall clothes VITA hila. The molnbers OF
this club say that tLey viii not buy IL
single article OF WellsyiIlo merchants
until the saIo POS are opened.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
THE SQUIRRELS HIGHWAY.

The cornfield joins the shady grove,
The mill stands in the valley;
The miller lives where daily sounds
The catbird's spiteful sally;
Along the fence, across the stream,
There is messy by-way,
That leads up to the sloping caves,
And forms squirrels highway.
All summer long we daily hear
A merry, ringing clatter;
The whisking squirrels storing spoils
With quaint, defiant clatter:
From early dawn to silent night,
Their antics never ending.
A happy life the gay things live,
Brisk toll and frolic blending.
But still they doubtless have their cares
Mayhap their share of sorrow;
And, like us, hope for better things
Upon the coming morrow.
There is an undertake. to life,
Although it may ssem by-play
That makes its thraldom even felt,
Along the squirrels highway
Hartford Times
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06

Hon. William Fwart Gladstone saws
There is an absolute necessity for adj
vertisng; there is great eagcrness to
compete for attention, and no one gets it
unless 1t is by giving, as it were, so many
strokes of the hammer one after the
other, to compel people to notice what is
going on.
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
THEIR LAST HYMN.
Six Passengers Who Sang Nearer,
My God, to Thee" on the Chats
worth Train.


Mrs. Merriam Grant, one of the peo
pie wounded in the ChatswOrth disaster,
was in the rear car with her husband
! IN Tins car was party of six people. Ii
order that they might sit together, Mr.
and Mrs. Grant changed seats with 3
young man and his bride. Their cour-
tesy saved their lives, for the young
couple were both killed. Mrs. Grant
thought this party were theatrical peo-
pie or concert singers; they sang so we'll.
They could sing, and they laughed and
told stories and anticipated the pleasure
of the trip until late at night. Then
Mrs. Grant composed herself i'll her
chair and covered her face with her
handkerchief to go to sleep. Nearly
everybody in the car was quiet but the
Jolly party of six About this time the
young bride was requested to sing
"Sweet Hour of Prayer Something
in the desire to sleep and rest recalled
the sweet old song. The young woman
sang and all listened rs the train sped
on.
As the little CLEAN of devilish fire ap-
peared far down the track their voices
Swelled in:
''Yct in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to thee"
The speed of the train increase
down the grade. Again the song swell
cd:
"Therc let the way appear. steps unto hoa-
ven"
The way was already in sight.
''All that Thou sendost me, in mercy given
And then with but moment of life
left for each, even when poor Ed. Nc
Clintock's hand was giving its last des-
perate wrench at the throttle of his en-
CINE tho singers sang to their God, who
seemed not to be holding them in the
hollow of His hand:
Angels to beckon me,
Nearer, my God, to Thee"
Enough Il was finished. The en-
gines struck the frail bridge and it sank.
The car containing the singers crashed
like bolt of Jovc through the two cars
in front of it, killing and grinding rs a
foot kills a worm. In the same instant
another car crashed through it and the
singers were dead
News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
$500 Not Called For,

1t seems strange that it is necessary to per-
suade men that you can cure their di sc lses by
offering premium to the man " no fails to re-
ceive benefit. And yet DR.. Sage undoubtedi y
cured thousands of cases of obstinate catarrh
with his "Catarrh Remedy who would never
have applied to him, II it had not been for his
offer OF the above sum for an incurable case.
Who is the next bidder for cure or cash?